HD 179949 b
HD 179949 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting HD 179949 in the constellation Sagittarius. It lies about 90 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2000 using the radial velocity method.
Is HD 179949 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of HD 179949 b relative to the habitable zone of HD 179949 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on HD 179949 b — one full orbit around HD 179949 — lasts 3.09 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.044 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.022).
How Was HD 179949 b Discovered?
HD 179949 b was discovered in 2000 using the radial velocity method, with observations from Anglo-Australian Telescope.
The radial velocity method measures the subtle wobble of a star caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet, visible as periodic shifts in the star's light spectrum. The size of the wobble reveals the planet's minimum mass.
How Far Away Is HD 179949 b?
HD 179949 b is 89.6 light-years (27.5 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1937. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 1,576,960 years to make the journey.
Earth Similarity Index
The Earth Similarity Index (ESI) scores how physically similar a planet is to Earth, from 0 to 1, based on radius, density, escape velocity and surface temperature. HD 179949 b scores 0.07, ranking #5,039 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: HD 179949
HD 179949
- Surface temperature
- 6,168 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.21 M☉
Planetary System
HD 179949 b is the only planet known to orbit HD 179949 so far.
HD 179949 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 291.12 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 3.09 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.044 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.022 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.07 |
| Distance from Earth | 89.6 light-years (27.5 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | Anglo-Australian Telescope |
| Discovery year | 2000 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-07-09. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About HD 179949 b
Is HD 179949 b habitable?
HD 179949 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of HD 179949, and as a hot Jupiter it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is HD 179949 b?
HD 179949 b is about 90 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 1,576,960 years to get there.
How long is a year on HD 179949 b?
One orbit around HD 179949 takes 3.1 Earth days — short enough that 118 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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